Hanger system for flexible hangings



May 20, 1958 A. E. FRIDOLPH 2,834,980

HANGER SYSTEM FOR FLEXIBLE HANGINGS Filed Oct. 14, 1954 IN V EN TOR.

flA/A/Ef 7E FAIOOL Pb United States Patent HANGER SYSTEM FOR FLEXIBLE HANGING Annette E. Fridolph, New York, N. Y.

Application October 14, 1954, Serial No. 462,182

3 Claims. CI. 16-95) This invention relates to a hanger system for supporting hangings of cloth or other fiexible fabrics such as curtains, draperies or the like. The invention particuarly relates to a unitary member which serves as a traverse member for slidably supporting curtains, draperies and the like.

This invention may be considered as an improvement over the arrangement shown in my prior patent Re. 23,209. In said patent, there is shown a traverse member for draperies and the like in the form of a unitary member provided with a T slot. Within the slot, a plurality of sliders are longitudinally movable. Curtains, draperties or the like are attached to fabric tabs depending from the sliders through the portion of the slot which opens on one face of the traverse member. In the case of the traverse member through which the slot opens, there is provided a recess through which the sliders may be passed for inserting them into the groove and for their removal from the groove. Under normal conditions, the sliders slide along the slot in the traverse member past the recess. They must be manipulated in a special mannet; that is, tilted angularly downwardly at one end to move them through the recess. Experience has shown that when a drapery suspended in the manner illustrated in said prior patent is pulled along the traverse member with a considerable downward force, the slider members sometimes become cocked as they pass by the recess and accidentally move through the recess.

It is an object of this invention to provide a hanger construction for curtains, draperies and the like generally of the type disclosed in said prior patent and designed to permit easy insertion and removal of the slider members into and from the T-shaped slot-of the traverse member.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a traverse member in this type of arrangement having an opening or recess therein for insertion and removal of the slider members, the recess being so designed that it does not interfere with the sliding movement of the sliders past the recess even if the drapery or curtain is very heavy or if the slider is being pulled along the slot with a considerable downward force.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a side elevation of the traverse member of this invention showing sliders therein supporting a drapery or the like.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the arrangement shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of a portion of the traverse member.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the slider member attached to a drapery or the like.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the manner in which the slider members are inserted into or removed from within the groove of the traverse member.

Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of the traverse member illustrating the manner in which the slider member is inserted into or removed from within the groove in the traverse member.

ice

Referring to the drawings, the traverse member of the present invention which is generally designated 10 comprises a one piece track which may be formed of wood or metal as desired. In the particular construction shown, the traverse member 10 is illustrated as an extrusion formed of aluminum or the like. At the top side thereof, the member 10 is provided with a pair of attaching flanges 12. A pair of side walls 14 depend from the flanges 12; and at its lower end, the member 10 is provided with a bottom wall 16. Between the walls 14, the track is provided with a T-shaped groove 18 which defines a slot 20 in the bottom wall 16.

The slider members of the present invention, generally designated 21 may be generally the same as disclosed in my prior patent referred to. These slider members are preferably formed from cloth or tape and are fashioned with an enlarged head 22 and a depending tab 24. The

enlarged head 22 preferably includes a rigid reinforcing member 26 around which the fabric is sewed or otherwise secured to form the head 22. However, the sliders may be made wholly of a single material such as fabric rolled or stitched to form the head, or may be fashioned from materials such as metal, Wood or plastic. A plurality of sliders 21 may be sewed at regularly spaced points to a cloth tape which is in turn sewed to the upper edge of a drapery or curtain; or if desired, the tabs 24 may themselves be sewed at regularly spaced points to the upper edge of a curtain or drapery. The head 22 of slider 21 is dimensioned to have a nice sliding fit in the groove 18 with the tabs 24 depending through the slot 20 as illustrated in Fig. 2. This construction provides a noiseless and smoothly running traverse drapery arrangement; and

since the sliders have but little friction with the groove 18,

the sliders 21 together with the curtain or drapery 28 are very freely movable along the traverse member 10. The member 10 may be fitted neatly within a door or window opening and concealed, if desired, in any suitable manner. At each end, the member 10 is provided with rivets 30 or the like which extend across groove 18 and thereby prevent the sliders 21 from sliding out either end of member 10.

It is, of course, necessary to provide some form of means for enabling the sliders 21 to be removed from within groove 18 so that the curtain or drapery may be taken down and rehung without detaching it from the tabs 24. Accordingly, in one of the side walls 14 of the member 10, there is formed an elongated opening 32. Opening 32 communicates at its inner endwith groove 18 and is spaced above the plane of bottom wall 16. A slot 34 extends from one end of opening 32 through walls 14 and 16 to slot 20. Slot 34 is inclined at an acute angle to the plane of wall 16 and has a width which generally corresponds to the width of slot 20. The width of opening 32 corresponds generally with the width of the heads 22 of sliders 21. However, opening 32 is shorter in length than the heads 22 of sliders 21. It will be noted that at the junction between opening 32 and slot 34, slot 34 tapers to a slightly greater width with the side edges of the slot blending smoothly with the edges of opening 32 at one end thereof as indicated at 36 and 38.

With the arrangement described herein, it will be observed that since the lower edge 4b of opening 32 is dis posed above the upper face of bottom wall 16, the sliders 21 will normally slide freely past opening 32. However, if the drapery is pulled to the right as viewed in Fig. 1 and in a lateral direction from the side of member 10 on which the opening 32 is located, then as each slider 21 approaches opening 32, the tab 24 will tend to ride up into slot 34. As the tab 24 rides up through slot 34, the head 22 of the slider is caused to be turned through approximately as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6. Thus, as the pull on the slider is continued in a direction laterally slider, will be moved through, the opening 3251s thentah 24 of each. sliderridesupthrough.thetslot-34 1 v v Thetoperation-lofi hanging-the draperortcurtain is per-,

formed just as easily. andflquickly as .thefloperation-voflre-e moving the drape. To-hang the drape,..it.isnecessary,to: insert each of thesliders21 throughtheqopeningfilm Thisat istaccomplished very simply-by inserting the head not each slider. angularly through opening 32.and.at the same. time directingtab 24 into the slot 34. The smoothvtapereds:

edges indicated vat 36 and-38 insure. thetfreeslidinggrnove-r ment of heads 22 and tabs 24 through openingrfiz rand-1:

slot. 34 respectively Thus, it ,will'be. seen thatrI have provideda hanger construction-for curtains, draperies and. .the like, which :is; of

simpleiconstruction andnwhich enablesrtheldrapery or. the.

likerto be-movedalongthe traversemeniber.quietly. and

freely. The invention alsoprovides altraverse-arrangea mentvwhich eliminatesrthe :possibility ofraccidentala-rermoval from ,withincthe groove-when thedrapery is pulled along the: traverse member but which, at.the.sa1ne ttime,

enables the slider. members tobe readily and easily in-v sertedorremoved from within the groove of the. traverse member.

I claim;

1. Ar track for. supporting. curtains, draperiestandr-tthe' likeby means of. sliders movabletin a longitudinally ex-.-

tending groove formeduin the bottom..face. of. the trackr with drapery supportingtabs on thesliders extending;

4 l a narrow portion and an enlarged portion with thenarrow portion of the groove disposed adjacent the bottom face of the track, the track havinga side face extending longitudinally adjacent the groove, said side face having an aperture therethrough opening at its inner end in the enlarged portion of said groove, said bottom and side faces having a slot therein extending. therethrough from the narrow portion of the groove to'said aperture, said slot lying in a plane normal to the side face: of 'the': track and inclined at an acute angle, to the axis of the groove, whereby when a drapery is supported in'saidtra'ckas described and avpull exerted thereon in a direction longitudinally of the track and at an angle inclined to the plane of said side face, the tabs on'the sliders automatically travel into said slot and the sliders pass out of said groove through said aperture.

2. A track for supporting curtains, draperies and the like as calledwfor-inrclaimrl wherein-said aperture is elolrgated in a directionlongitudinally of said track .said.-s1ot-2 terminating at one end of'said aperture andsaidaperturepe forming, a longitudinal. :extensionof said slot, the: width- 1 of saidv aperture being greater. than thelwidth of/saidslot-.--

3. A track for supporting curtains, draperies and thelike as called forin. claim: 2 whereinthe intersectionaof aperture.

Referenees-Cited inthe file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Fridolph .Mar-l V21', 1950-.- Grimmx June--13,'-l882'l 

